Work equipment

Abstract

To provide work machines and other equipment that can be operated intuitively using a controller. [Solution] According to one aspect of the present invention, a work machine is provided, comprising a main body and an operating unit, the main body having an angle sensor and an operation control unit, the operating unit connected to the main body having an operating rod, a gripping unit and a controller, the main body being configured to move based on rotational power from a motor, the operating rod being connected to the main body, the gripping unit being connected to the operating rod and configured to be grippable to assist the movement of the main body, the controller being positioned on the gripping unit and configured to accept input operations for the direction of travel of the main body, the angle sensor being configured to detect the relative angle between the main body and the operating rod, and the operation control unit controlling the direction of travel of the main body so as to match the input direction of travel with the relative angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a straight travel control structure for a work machine.

[0003] This straight travel control structure of the work machine includes an inclination angle detection sensor that detects the inclination direction and inclination angle in the left-right direction of the machine body, and a travel control means that controls the drive speeds of the left and right travel devices based on the detection from the inclination angle detection sensor such that the drive speed of the travel device located on the valley side becomes faster than the drive speed of the travel device located on the mountain side as the inclination angle increases.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a work machine or the like that can be intuitively operated using a controller. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of the overall configuration of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the exterior of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the external appearance of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 4] This is a left side view showing the external appearance of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 5] This is a rear view showing the external appearance of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 6] This is a top view showing the external appearance of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 7] This is a bottom view of the lawnmower 11, with some parts omitted. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the lawnmower 11 with some parts omitted. [Figure 9] This is a top view of the lawnmower 11, with some parts omitted. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of each part near the mounting portion 200. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the arrangement of each lever on controller 5. [Figure 12] This is an activity diagram showing the flow of control for the movement of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 13] This is a conceptual diagram showing how to control the direction of travel of the lawnmower 11. [Figure 14] This section describes a case where the main body 2 deviates from its direction of travel while the lawnmower 11 is in motion. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other.

[0011] Incidentally, the program for implementing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or it may be provided as a downloadable medium from an external server, or it may be provided so that the program is launched on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0012] Furthermore, in various information processing according to one embodiment, an input and an output corresponding to the input can be realized. Here, as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input, the form of the information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as "reference information") is not limited. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression equation constructed by a statistical method), or a pre-trained model that has learned the correlation between input and output in advance, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0013] In addition, in one embodiment, the "unit" may include, for example, hardware resources implemented by a circuit in a broad sense and information processing of software that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. Also, in one embodiment, various types of information are handled. These information are represented, for example, by physical values of signal values representing voltage and current, the high and low of signal values as a set of binary bits composed of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculation can be executed on a circuit in a broad sense.

[0014] Furthermore, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by appropriately combining at least a circuit (Circuit), circuitry (Circuitry), a processor (Processor), a memory (Memory), and the like. Also, the processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (for example, a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), and the like.

[0015] 1. Overall Configuration In Chapter 1, the working machine 1 according to one embodiment will be described. The working machine 1 is configured to travel in order to perform a predetermined operation. Hereinafter, the case where the working machine 1 is a lawn mower 11 will be taken up and described.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the lawn mower 11. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the lawn mower 11. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the appearance of the lawn mower 11. FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the appearance of the lawn mower 11. FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the appearance of the lawn mower 11. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the appearance of the lawn mower 11. FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing a part of the components of the lawn mower 11 omitted. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of the components of the lawn mower 11 omitted. FIG. 9 is a top view showing a part of the components of the lawn mower 11 omitted. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each part in the vicinity of the attachment part 200. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the arrangement of each lever of the controller 5.

[0017] In the following description, based on "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" shown in FIGS. 2 to 14, the directions of the lawn mower 11 and each member constituting the lawn mower 11 are defined. Further, in the following description, "up" is also referred to as "upper side" or "above", and "down" is also referred to as "lower side" or "below". Also, the direction formed by up and down is referred to as "vertical" or "vertical direction". The same applies to "left", "right", "front", and "rear".

[0018] (Lawn mower 11) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lawn mower 11, which is a working machine 1, includes a main body 2, an operation unit 3 including a controller 5 and an operation lever 32, an angle sensor 29 provided on the main body 2, an attachment part 200, an operation control device 20, and a first battery 4 detachably attached to the main body 2. The lawn mower 11 has a traveling function and a working function, and performs lawn mowing while traveling.

[0019] (Main body 2) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the main body 2 includes a traveling motor 21, an attachment part 200, a traveling part 22, a working motor 23, a working part 24, an operation control device 20, and a mounting part 28. The operation control device 20 includes a first integrated circuit 20a, and the first integrated circuit 20a further includes a first transmission / reception unit 26, a storage unit 6, and an operation control unit 25.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the main body 2 has an upper cover 2a and a lower support plate 2c. As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the upper cover 2a is a lid-shaped cover and is provided to cover at least a portion of each part mounted on the lower support plate 2c from above. Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, the upper cover 2a has an openable / closable part 2b. By opening the openable / closable part 2b, each part constituting the main body 2 that is covered by the upper cover 2a can be checked or operated. In other words, the openable / closable part 2b allows each part to be checked or operated without removing the upper cover 2a from the brush cutter 11. The lower support plate 2c is plate-shaped and is located below the upper cover 2a. The various parts constituting the main body 2, namely the travel motor 21, travel unit 22, work motor 23, work unit 24, operation control device 20, and mounting unit 28, are mechanically connected to the lower support plate 2c.

[0021] The travel motor 21 is an electric motor configured to generate rotational power for the main body 2 to move. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, in the grass trimmer 11, two travel motors 21 are arranged, one on the left and one on the right, behind the upper surface of the lower support plate 2c. The travel motors 21 are mechanically connected to the travel unit 22 via chains, gears, etc. (not shown) or directly.

[0022] The running section 22 is powered by rotational energy supplied from the running motor 21 to propel the grass trimmer 11. In other words, the main body 2 is configured to run based on the rotational energy provided by the running motor 21. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the running section 22 in the grass trimmer 11 is a continuous track, commonly known as a caterpillar (registered trademark). However, the running section 22 is not limited to a continuous track and may be, for example, a tire. In Chapter 2, the running section 22 may also be described as being divided into a left running section 22a and a right running section 22b.

[0023] The work motor 23 is an electric motor configured to generate rotational power for mowing grass. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, in the grass trimmer 11, two work motors 23 are arranged, one on the left and one on the right, approximately in the center of the upper surface of the lower support plate 2c in the front-to-back direction. The work motors 23 are mechanically connected to the work unit 24 via chains, gears, etc. (not shown) or directly.

[0024] The working unit 24 receives rotational power from the working motor 23 to perform predetermined tasks. As shown in Figure 7, in the brush cutter 11, the working unit 24 is configured to cut grass and trees by rotating with the rotational power of the working motor 23. Specifically, the working unit 24 comprises a cutting blade 24a, a cutting blade shaft 24b, a cutting blade mounting part 24c, and a rotating shaft 24d, and is a free-knife type working unit 24. In detail, the cutting blade 24a is plate-shaped and rotates around the rotating shaft 24d via the cutting blade mounting part 24c, cutting grass and trees that come into contact with it as the brush cutter 11 moves. The cutting blade mounting part 24c is elliptical in shape, with the rotating shaft 24d connected approximately to its center, and rotates in a plane defined by the front and rear and left and right. The cutting blade mounting part 24c is also equipped with cutting blade shafts 24b at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the cutting blades 24a are connected to the upper and lower sides of each cutting blade shaft 24b. Furthermore, the cutting blade 24a is attached to the cutting blade shaft 24b of the cutting blade mounting section 24c so as to rotate within a predetermined range around the cutting blade shaft 24b. The working section 24 is not limited to a free-knife type, and may be of other types, such as a resin cord like nylon cord, a metal blade (reel blade, carbide-tipped saw blade, shredder blade, etc.), a resin blade, or a reciprocating blade.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the drive motor 21 and the work motor 23 are controlled by the operation control unit 25, which receives power from the first battery 4. In other words, the operation control unit 25 is electrically connected to the drive boards 41 and 42 via signal lines. The drive board 41 is electrically connected to the drive motor 21 and the first battery 4 via power lines. The drive board 42 is electrically connected to the work motor 23 and the first battery 4 via power lines. The operation control unit 25 controls the power supply from the first battery 4 to the drive motor 21 and the work motor 23 by transmitting drive signals to the drive boards 41 and 42. In this way, the operation control unit 25 is configured to electrically control the rotation of the drive motor 21 and the work motor 23. Furthermore, the operation control unit 25 and the first transceiver unit 26 are mounted on the first integrated circuit 20a and are electrically connected by signal lines, etc. The first transceiver unit 26 has a wireless communication function and communicates wirelessly with the controller 5. In the following description, "signal lines" and "power lines" will be referred to as "wiring harnesses" as appropriate.

[0026] As shown in Figure 8, the mounting portion 28 is plate-shaped and is configured to detachably accommodate the first battery 4 for supplying power to the travel motor 21. The mounting portion 28 is positioned near the center in the left-right direction, in front of the upper surface of the lower support plate 2c. The mounting portion 28 is inclined to approach the lower support plate 2c as it moves from front to rear.

[0027] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the mounting portion 200 is box-shaped and is positioned approximately in the center of the upper surface of the lower support plate 2c of the main body 2. The mounting portion 200 also has a rotating body 210 and is attached to the main body 2 via a bearing 211 so as to be rotatable in a predetermined direction. Of the mounting portion 200, the connecting portion 201 fixes the operating rod 32 and connects the main body 2 and the operating rod 32.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the angle sensor 29 is electrically connected to the motion control device 20 via a wiring harness and operates using power converted from the power of the first battery 4 by the motion control device 20. The angle sensor 29 also transmits the detected angle signal (relative angle) to the motion control unit 25 at a predetermined interval. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the angle sensor 29 consists of a magnet 29a provided on the rotating body 210 and a magnetic sensor 29b provided near or directly below the magnet 29a, and detects the angle by detecting the magnetism of the magnet 29a. In other words, the angle sensor 29 is positioned at the connection part (mounting part 200) between the main body 2 and the operating rod 32. In this way, when the operator moves the operating rod 32 in a predetermined direction relative to the main body 2, the angle sensor 29 can detect the rotational position of the rotating body 210. With this configuration, the relative angle between the main body 2 and the operator gripping the operating rod 32 can be detected more easily.

[0029] Furthermore, the connection portion (mounting portion 200) between the main body 2 and the operating rod 32 is located at the center of the rotation position of the main body 2. With this configuration, when the main body 2 rotates, the operating rod 32 will not move in a predetermined (left-right) direction. Also, if the connection portion (mounting portion 200) is offset from the center of the rotation position of the main body 2, the control becomes complicated because the rotation movement must be controlled to account for the offset. However, by providing the connection portion (mounting portion 200) at the center of the rotation position of the main body 2, it becomes possible to control the movement without considering the offset.

[0030] The angle sensor 29 detects the rotation angle of the rotating body 210, converts the amount of the rotation angle into an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to the operation control unit 25. The operation control unit 25 then performs travel control of the main body 2, i.e., travel control of the lawnmower 11, based on the deviation between the rotation angle of the rotating body 210 and the relative angle between the main body 2 and the operating rod 32. In other words, the angle sensor 29 is configured to detect the relative angle between the main body 2 and the operator gripping the operating rod 32 by detecting the rotation angle of the rotating body 210.

[0031] (Operation unit 3) As shown in Figure 2, the operating unit 3 includes a controller 5 and an operating rod 32. The operating rod 32 is connected to the main body 2 via a mounting part 200. The gripping part 32a is connected to the operating rod 32 and is configured to grip in order to assist in the movement of the main body 2.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the main body 2 is connected to the operating rod 32 via the mounting portion 200. The operating rod 32 has a gripping portion 32a and a connecting portion 32b. The gripping portion 32a, when integrated with the controller 5, forms an annular shape, and is gripped by inserting the operator's hand inside the annular shape. In Figure 2, the connecting portion 32b is connected below the gripping portion 32a. The connecting portion 32b is pipe-shaped and connects the mounting portion 200 and the gripping portion 32a. In other words, the operating rod 32 is connected to the main body 2 via the mounting portion 200 and is configured to be grippable in order to assist in the movement of the main body 2.

[0033] (First battery 4) As shown in Figure 8, the first battery 4 is detachably attached to the mounting section 28 of the main body 2 at the front of the main body 2. The first battery 4 is constructed by housing a secondary battery, such as a lithium-ion secondary battery, in a rectangular parallelepiped case. The first battery 4 is a battery pack that can be attached and detached by sliding it in the front-rear direction relative to the mounting section 28. In the brush cutter 11, two first batteries 4 are installed, but the brush cutter is not limited to this, and may have one or more mounting sections 28, with each of the mounting sections 28 having a first battery 4 installed.

[0034] (Controller 5) As shown in Figure 1, the controller 5 comprises a control device 50, a second battery 53, a second integrated circuit 50a, and an input unit 52. The second integrated circuit 50a comprises a signal generation unit 54, a second storage unit 55, and a second transmitting / receiving unit 51. The second integrated circuit 50a operates on power supplied from the second battery 53. The second integrated circuit 50a and the input unit 52 are electrically connected via a wiring harness. As shown in Figure 2, the controller 5 is positioned on the gripping unit 32a and is integrally configured with the gripping unit 32a of the operating unit 3. The controller 5 is a controller with wireless communication functionality and is configured to operate the main unit 2 by wireless communication with the main unit 2 based on operations from the operator. The controller 5 is configured to accept input operations for the travel direction of the main unit 2. The controller 5 may be configured to be detachable from the operating rod 32 of the operating unit 3.

[0035] The second transmitting / receiving unit 51 transmits the input signal from the input unit 52, which has been converted into an electrical signal by the signal generation unit 54, to the first transmitting / receiving unit 26 via wireless communication. In other words, the first transmitting / receiving unit 26 receives the input signal from the input unit 52 from the second transmitting / receiving unit 51 via wireless communication. The operation control unit 25 performs control according to the signal received by the first transmitting / receiving unit 26.

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, the input unit 52 has an operation lever 52d, which will be described later, and a cutting blade operation lever 52c. Furthermore, the cutting blade operation lever 52c is an operating means for switching the working unit 24 on / off to rotate it.

[0037] OK Figure 11(A) shows a front view of the controller 5, and Figure 11(B) shows a side view of the operating lever 52d. The operating lever 52d is used to control the direction of travel of the main unit 2 by tilting it in any direction within 360 degrees. Furthermore, as will be described later, the travel speed of the main unit 2 can be controlled according to the input operation to the operating lever 52d (angle of tilt, tilting time, etc.).

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the first storage unit 27 is electrically connected to the operation control unit 25. The first storage unit 27 stores various information necessary for controlling the lawnmower 11. This can be implemented as, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or other memory that stores temporarily necessary information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the calculations of programs that store various programs related to the lawnmower 11 executed by the operation control unit 25, or as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD). A combination of these may also be used.

[0039] 2. Control Method Chapter 2 describes a method for controlling the travel direction of the work machine 1 in this embodiment.

[0040] Figure 12 is an activity diagram showing the flow of control for the movement of the lawnmower 11. The following explanation will follow each activity in this activity diagram. Figure 12 shows the control flow during the operation of the lawnmower 11.

[0041] First, the angle sensor 29 continuously detects the relative angle between the main body 2 and the operating rod 32 while the lawnmower 11 is in operation (activity A110). Here, the relative angle is, for example, the angle of the main body 2 relative to the operating rod 32, with the longitudinal direction of the operating rod 32 as the reference (0 degrees). In this embodiment, the angle of the main body 2 relative to the operating rod 32 is detected with the front of the main body 2 (direction of travel) as the reference. The relative angle detection information from the angle sensor 29 is transmitted to the operation control unit 25 via the wiring harness.

[0042] Furthermore, the controller 5 accepts input operations for the direction of travel of the main unit 2 (activity A120). Here, the direction of travel of the main unit 2 input by the controller 5 is, for example, the direction of inclination of the operating lever 52d relative to the front when the controller 5 is viewed from the front (Figure 11(A)), with the front being the reference point (0 degrees). The information of the input operation from the controller 5 is transmitted to the first transmitting / receiving unit 26 in the main unit 2 via the second transmitting / receiving unit 51. Furthermore, the information of the input operation is transmitted from the first transmitting / receiving unit 26 to the operation control unit 25.

[0043] Next, the motion control unit 25 acquires the relative angle between the main body 2, detected by the angle sensor 29, and the operator gripping the operating rod 32 (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the operating rod 32) (Activity A130).

[0044] Next, the motion control unit 25 determines the difference between the direction input by the controller 5 (the direction of travel of the main unit 2) and the relative angle (activity A140). If it determines that the difference between the input direction and the relative angle is within a predetermined range, the motion control unit 25 proceeds to the processing of activity A170 (YES for activity A140). On the other hand, if it determines that the difference between the input direction and the relative angle is outside the predetermined range, the motion control unit 25 proceeds to the processing of activity A150 (NO for activity A140). Here, the predetermined range is a range that allows for some discrepancy, not just cases where the direction input by the controller 5 and the relative angle match. Therefore, the predetermined range can be appropriately changed in consideration of the precision of the operation by the controller 5.

[0045] Next, the motion control unit 25 controls the direction of travel of the main body 2 so that the direction of travel input to the controller 5 matches the relative angle between the main body 2 and the operating rod 32 (Activity A150). That is, the motion control unit 25 controls the driving direction and driving speed of the left travel unit 22a and the right travel unit 22b, respectively, and controls the driving of the travel unit 22 until the difference between the relative angle detected by the angle sensor 29 and the direction of travel input to the controller 5 falls within a predetermined range, thereby rotating the main body 2 clockwise or counterclockwise (Activity A160 NO).

[0046] Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram showing how the direction of travel of the brush cutter 11 is controlled. In Figure 13, the operating lever 52d is tilted to the right. That is, the operation of the operating lever 52d is tilted 90 degrees to the right with respect to the front when the controller 5 is viewed from the front. First, as shown in Figure 13(A), the main body 2, which travels forward, rotates the right-side travel section 22b in the reverse direction by the input operation of the operating lever 52d, causing the main body 2 to rotate clockwise (Figure 13(B)). Then, when the main body 2 is facing to the right, the operation control unit 25 returns the right-side travel section 22b to forward rotation, causing the main body 2 to travel to the right (Figure 13(C)). In Figure 13(C), the direction of travel of the main body 2 with respect to the operating rod 32 is 90 degrees to the right. In this manner, the motion control unit 25 controls the direction of travel of the main body 2 so as to match the direction of travel input to the controller 5 with the relative angle between the main body 2 and the operating rod 32.

[0047] Returning to the explanation of Figure 12, when the difference between the travel direction of the main unit 2 and the relative angle detected by the angle sensor 29 falls within a predetermined range (YES for Activity A160), the control of the travel direction is terminated, and the motion control unit 25 changes the travel speed of the main unit 2 according to the input operation of the controller 5 (Activity A170). That is, the motion control unit 25 changes the travel speed of the main unit 2 according to, for example, the tilt angle of the operating lever 52d, the input time, etc. This configuration can further improve the operability of the work machine.

[0048] Figure 14 illustrates the case where the direction of travel of the main body 2 shifts while the brush cutter 11 is in motion. Initially, as shown in Figure 14(A), the main body 2 was traveling forward, but depending on the working environment, the direction of travel of the main body 2 may shift, as shown in Figure 14(B). In this case, as shown in Figure 14(C), if the shift is to the right, the drive of the right-side travel unit 22b is increased, and the drive of the left-side travel unit 22a is relatively decreased, gradually returning to the state shown in Figure 14(A).

[0049] Here, it is preferable that the motion control unit 25 changes the amount of control for the movement method of the main body according to the difference between the input direction of travel and the relative angle. For example, if the input direction of travel and the relative speed do not differ much, the motion control unit 25 adjusts the movement unit 22 by a small amount, and if the difference is large, the motion control unit 25 adjusts the movement unit 22 by a larger amount. By controlling in this way, the operator does not have to worry too much about controlling the movement direction of the main body 2, and the movement direction of the main body 2 is corrected naturally. In other words, according to this embodiment, deviations in the movement direction of the main body can be corrected more naturally.

[0050] Each of the above activities is performed while the lawnmower 11 is in operation.

[0051] As described above, the operator does not need to use separate levers for straight-line operation and turning operation; the direction of travel of the brush cutter 11 can be changed simply by operating the operating lever 52d. In other words, since the direction of travel and the travel speed of the main body 2 can be changed with a single operating lever 52d, the brush cutter 11 can be operated intuitively. That is, according to the embodiment of this product, it is possible to provide a work machine that can be operated intuitively using a controller.

[0052] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical spirit of the invention.

[0053] 3. Variant Chapter 3 describes modifications of this embodiment. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0054] In this embodiment, the operating rod 32 has been described as being attached to the main body 2. However, if the operating rod 32 is removed from the main body 2, the operation control unit 25 may control the direction of travel of the main body 2 without using the relative angle detected by the angle sensor 29. For example, when the grass trimmer 11 is to be driven at a position further away from the operator than the length of the operating rod 32, if the operating rod 32 is connected, the operating rod 32 may get caught on an obstacle, hindering the movement of the grass trimmer 11. Therefore, it is preferable to drive the grass trimmer 11 with the operating rod 32 removed. In this case, however, the relative angle detected by the angle sensor 29 and the operator's position are not necessarily correlated. Thus, by adopting this configuration, it is possible to select whether or not to include the operating rod 32 depending on the work environment.

[0055] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the travel control by the motion control unit 25 is performed without problems. However, if the motion control unit 25 determines that the travel direction of the main body 2 is uncontrollable, it may stop controlling the travel direction of the main body 2. For example, if the travel direction of the main body 2 cannot be controlled due to slippage of the travel unit 22, this can prevent overloading of each part due to such control.

[0056] In this embodiment, the case where the work machine 1 is a grass cutter 11 has been described as an example, but it is not limited to this. For example, the work machine 1 may be a grass cutter 11, a collection machine (not shown) for collecting rubbish or golf balls that have fallen on the ground, or a spreader (not shown). With such an embodiment, predetermined tasks can be performed using a grass cutter, collection machine, or spreader with improved operability.

[0057] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the input unit 52 has an operating lever 52d and a cutting blade operating lever 52c, but it is not limited to this. The input unit 52 may further have a travel operating lever 52a and a direction operating lever 52b. The travel operating lever 52a is an operating means for increasing or decreasing the travel speed of the main unit 2. The travel operating lever 52a is configured to control the travel speed of the main unit 2 via a drive switch (not shown). The direction operating lever 52b is an operating means for controlling the travel direction of the main unit 2. By configuring the input unit 52 to have a travel operating lever 52a and a direction operating lever 52b in addition to the operating lever 52d and the cutting blade operating lever 52c, an operator familiar with the conventional operating method, i.e., the method of operating the grass trimmer 11 using the travel operating lever 52a and the direction operating lever 52b, can appropriately select the operating lever 52d or the travel operating lever 52a and the direction operating lever 52b depending on the working environment.

[0058] 4. Others The product may be provided in any of the following embodiments.

[0059] (1) A work machine comprising a main body and an operating unit, wherein the main body has an angle sensor and an operation control unit, the operating unit is connected to the main body and has an operating rod, a gripping unit and a controller, the main body is configured to move based on rotational power from a motor, the operating rod is connected to the main body, the gripping unit is connected to the operating rod and is configured to grip in order to assist the movement of the main body, the controller is located on the gripping unit and is configured to receive input operations for the direction of travel of the main body, the angle sensor is configured to detect the relative angle between the main body and the operating rod, and the operation control unit controls the direction of travel of the main body so as to match the input direction of travel with the relative angle.

[0060] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a work machine or the like that can be intuitively operated using a controller.

[0061] (2) The work machine described in (1) above, wherein the angle sensor is located at the connection point between the main body and the operating rod.

[0062] According to this embodiment, the relative angle between the main body and the operating rod can be detected more easily.

[0063] (3) The work machine described in (2) above, wherein the connecting portion is provided at the center of the rotation position of the main body.

[0064] In this configuration, it is not necessary to consider the control amount due to the offset of the connection part, thus simplifying the control process.

[0065] (4) A work machine according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the motion control unit changes the amount of control for the travel method of the main body according to the amount of difference between the input travel direction and the relative angle.

[0066] According to this configuration, deviations in the direction of travel of the main body can be corrected more naturally.

[0067] (5) A work machine according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the operation control unit changes the travel speed of the main body in accordance with the input operation.

[0068] This configuration can further improve the operability of the work machine.

[0069] (6) A work machine according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the motion control unit controls the direction of travel of the main body without using the detected relative angle when the operating rod is removed from the main body.

[0070] In this configuration, the necessity of a control stick can be selected depending on the work environment.

[0071] (7) A work machine described in any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the motion control unit stops controlling the direction of travel of the main body when it determines that the direction of travel of the main body is uncontrollable.

[0072] According to this embodiment, for example, if the direction of travel of the main body cannot be controlled due to slippage, it is possible to prevent overloading of each part due to such control.

[0073] (8) An implement described in any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein the implement is a grass cutter, a collection machine, or a sprayer.

[0074] According to this embodiment, the predetermined tasks in each can be performed using a grass trimmer, collection machine, or sprayer with improved operability. Of course, this is not always the case. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1: Work machine 2: Main body 2a: Top cover 2b: Opening / closing part 2c: Lower support plate 3 :Operation section 4: First battery 5: Controller 6: Storage section 11: Lawn mower 20: Operation control device 20a: First integrated circuit 21: Driving motor 22: Running section 22a: Left side running section 22b: Right side running section 23: Work motor 24: Work Unit 24a: Cutting blade 24b:Cutter blade shaft 24c: Cutting blade mounting section 24d: Rotation axis 25: Operation Control Unit 26: First transmitting and receiving unit 27: First Memory Unit 28: Mounting part 29: Angle sensor 29a: Magnet 29b: Magnetic sensor 32: Operation stick 32a: Grip part 32b: Connection part 41: Drive board 42: Drive board 50: Control device 50a: Second integrated circuit 51: Second transmitting / receiving unit 52: Input section 52a: Driving control lever 52b: Directional control lever 52c: Blade operating lever 52d: Operating lever 53: Second battery 54: Signal generation unit 55: Second Memory Unit 200: Mounting part 201: Connection part 210: Rotating body 211: Bearings

Claims

1. It is a work machine, It comprises a main unit and an operating unit. The main body comprises an angle sensor and an motion control unit. The aforementioned operating unit is connected to the main body and includes an operating rod, a gripping part, and a controller. The main body is configured to move based on rotational power from a motor. The aforementioned operating rod is connected to the main body, The gripping portion is connected to the operating rod and is configured to be grippable in order to assist in the movement of the main body. The controller is positioned in the gripping portion and is configured to accept input operations for the direction of travel of the main body portion. The angle sensor is configured to detect the relative angle between the main body and the operating rod. The operation control unit controls the direction of travel of the main body so as to match the input direction of travel with the relative angle. Work equipment.

2. In the work machine described in claim 1, The angle sensor is positioned at the connection point between the main body and the operating rod. Work equipment.

3. In the work machine described in claim 2, The aforementioned connecting portion is provided at the center of the pivot position of the main body. Work equipment.

4. In the work machine described in claim 1, The operation control unit changes the amount of control for the movement method of the main body according to the difference between the input operating direction of travel and the relative angle. Work equipment.

5. In the work machine described in claim 1, The operation control unit changes the travel speed of the main unit in response to the input operation. Work equipment.

6. In the work machine described in claim 1, When the operating rod is removed from the main body, the operation control unit controls the direction of travel of the main body without using the detected relative angle. Work equipment.

7. In the work machine described in claim 1, If the operation control unit determines that the direction of travel of the main body is uncontrollable, it stops controlling the direction of travel of the main body. Work equipment.

8. In the work machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The aforementioned work machine is a grass cutter, a collection machine, or a sprayer. Work equipment.

Images